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The Minnesota Twins selected Oregon pitcher Jason Reitz with the 119th pick in in the 2025 MLB Draft. That choice is notable for more reasons than one.
Obviously, the talent is there. You don’t accidentally fall into a fourth-round spot without production. But Reitz is much different than the rest of his draft classmates. His height is his most notable attribute.
Reitz spent one season in Eugene after transferring from Saint Mary’s. He shined in a starting role, posting a 5-1 overall record to go along with a 3.50 ERA across 16 appearances (11 starts).
In 64.1 innings of work, he struck out 73 batters. His stuff is untouchable when he’s on.
“He has a good delivery for his size,” said Minnesota VP of amateur scouting Sean Johnson. “He’s a solid athlete… We believe there’s enough athlete in there to do more things with his pitches and the way he uses them in a game.”
Jason Reitz was listed as the 191st-best prospect in the draft. He exceeded that draft projection by a large margin.
The right-handed pitcher can touch 98 MPH with his fastball, though he typically stays around the low to mid-90s. He leans on a cutter and slider while possessing a changeup that keeps hitters off-balance.
In his last college appearance, he struck out 14 batters. The Twins are hoping that production continues as a pro. If he’s able to navigate his way quickly through the minor system, Reitz will have a chance to make history.
Jason Reitz is tall!
At 6-foot-11, he could match Jon Rauch and Sean Hjelle as being the tallest players in MLB history. Rauch, interestingly enough, played for the Twins for two seasons, posting an 8-2 record in Minnesota. He spent 11 years in the Majors.
Hjelle, meanwhile, was drafted by Giants in 2018 and has played in the MLB since 2022. He could soon have some competition on the bump!
Jason Reitz towered over his college counterparts with the Ducks, and he’d do the same in the bigs. Reitz stands five inches taller than the tallest player on the Twins’ active roster.
He’s nearly a foot-and-a-half taller than the MLB’s current shortest player, Jose Altuve (5′ 6″). He’s almost twice the size of the shortest player in league history, Eddie Gaedel (3′ 7″)
Reitz has the opportunity to make history with the Twins. He’ll start his professional career soon enough and will be sure to attract attention as he makes his stops on the minor league baseball circuit.